Reliance faces flack from public city gas companies

August 18, 2008

Public city gas companies protest the expression of interest by RIL in cities where the government companies have interests.

Government-controlled city gas companies including Indraprastha Gas, Avantika Gas and Maharashtra Natural Gas have protested against the expression of interest submitted by Reliance Industries (RIL) for cities where these companies have interest (EOI). These include Gurgaon, Noida, Indore, Faridabad, Gwalior, and Pune.

RIL had earlier submitted EOI for 54 cities including the above mentioned. The public sector gas companies are now demanding that they should be given exclusivity of operations in these cities.

Indraprastha Gas for example, has been providing piped natural gas in Delhi since 1999. The company has been expanding its operations into the national capital region. As such, it has asked the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board to stop its proceedings towards inviting private companies for Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Indraprastha feels that it has been given the right to supply piped gas exclusively in the region by the oil ministry.